[photo credit: The Huntington]
Saar joins Blake Riley, creative director of Arion Press—the last U.S. printer to handcraft every book element—to discuss their 2024 fine press edition of Butler’s seminal work. “We floated a number of ideas and discovered the one we both had on our shortlists was ‘Kindred,’” Riley recalled. “There’s no delete key in our process.”
Their conversation will explore how Saar’s illustrations and Arion Press’s meticulous design draw attention to the novel’s exploration of slavery’s legacy. Riley noted, “There’s no escaping the inherent violence embedded in this story of human enslavement.”
The event also highlights The Huntington’s vast Butler archive—8,000 individually cataloged items across 392 boxes and 18 oversized folders—alongside its distinguished collection of artist books. Saar’s contribution follows her receipt of the 2025 David C. Driskell Prize, which she says empowers Black artists and historians to safeguard civil rights gains.
Alison Saar and the Arion Press Edition of Octavia E. Butler’s “Kindred” will run on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 7:30–9:30 p.m. Rothenberg Hall, The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. For more information, call (626) 405-2100 or visit huntington.org/event/alison-saar-and-arion-press-edition-octavia-e-butlers-kindred. Ticket prices: Free with reservation.
